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Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Ballard Ignores Public; Working On Backroom Deal To Aid Billionaire Sports Team Owners

Mayor Greg Ballard doesn't have time these days to talk to the citzens of our City about the colossal financial mess the City's Capital Improvement Board intentionally created to win more public funding for the billionaire sports team owners of the Colts and the Pacers, but he is working on a backroom deal with state lawmakers to stick it to the public again. Sen. Luke Kenley (R-Noblesville) puts out a press release to say he is working on a plan with the team owners and Mayor Ballard. The release reads:

State Sen. Luke Kenley (R-Noblesville) says both the Indianapolis Colts and Indiana Pacers will team up with state and local officials in discussing ways to address the budget shortfalls for the Convention Center, Lucas Oil Stadium and Conseco Fieldhouse.

Kenley, chair of the Senate Committee on Appropriations, said this development is “typical of both organizations, who have been good community partners with the city of Indianapolis and the state of Indiana .

“Both of these teams have always been good community citizens and worked long and hard, in good faith, with city and state officials to forge long-term agreements that enhance the quality of life for central Indiana and we intend to honor those agreements,” Kenley said. “It is a special challenge to be a small market franchise in professional sports, but the Colts and Pacers not only strive to put a quality product on the court and football field, but also to work agreeably as anchor tenants in our capital city’s major entertainment facilities.”

Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard emphasized the importance of reaching a resolution that benefits all parties and expressed confidence that with positive input from the ownership and leadership of the franchises that solutions can be developed.

“We are having to do this under the most difficult of economic circumstances, but both organizations bring quality leadership to the table and always try to reach positive solutions for our community,” Ballard said.

Kenley said he has already had a preliminary meeting with each team’s representatives and talked with House Ways and Means Chairman Bill Crawford (D-Indianapolis), who also agreed to help search for financial solutions.

This is horrible news to taxpayers. You need to burn up the lines to your state legislators immediately to derail this train before it pulls out of the station. We'll be damned, Sen. Kenley, if these billionaires are bailed out at our expense. There is only one solution that is acceptable and that is for the Simons and the Irsays to put their money on the table to fix this mess. We are not paying any more taxes to subsidize their glitzy lifestyles. If they have to give up a $28 million third or fourth home in Bel-Air, then so be it. Any legislator who supports a bailout had better be prepared for the wrath we will bring down on them at the polls.

It's my understanding that Irsay invested a substantial amount of his dollars at the outset to help this team. He should not be faulted for reaping whatever profits his business makes and obtaining the best contract negotiated with the City and State. He is in business to make money; not make the City of Indianapolis profitable. (I do fault him for going to Minnesota and telling those team owners they can use the leverage of leaving Minneapolis unless Minneapolis agrees to build a new stadium there). Indy capitulated under the same threat. Now we have a giant red brick barn that cannot be justified, despite sold out games. Back to the point: it is our City's amateurs who fumbled the ball but I don't see any heads rolling. Where is the accountability, and why isn't there a press conference to address this debacle? Irsay completed a touchdown; the City fumbled the ball. We lost.

Flipper, Why are you more concerned about what Crawford is doing than your buddy Ballard?

(Worthy of being repeated)

Also, you may wanna lay off the 'if you wanna dance' comments you made along with posting your number on another blog. It's immature and unprofessional at the most..borderline threatening in the least.

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